The Best of Me
by KayleyWulf
Summary: Something is wrong with Shindou and Ibuki will do anything to make him happy. Minor rantaku, but mainly munetaku/ranmasa


Shindou seemed to be having dificulty during practice lately and everyone could tell. If he wasn't hard on them anyway he was even worse lately. Tenma and Tsurugi took turns being in his room a lot and that made Ibuki mad. _'What do they know that I don't?' _

Ibuki had watched Shindou since day one and practices with him every change he got. He even thought they had gotten closer. Not knowing what was wrong was killing him so he had to do SOMETHING..

He went up to the door of Shindou's room while Tsurugi was with him and leaned against it to listen. He heard only bits and pieces but not enough to find a problem in it all. He felt so useless. _HE _was supposed to be the one Shindou talked to. _HE _was supposed to be the one that could comfort him. But he was just …sitting… in a hallway..

Clenching his fists, he stormed into Tenma's room and shocked the smaller brunette. "Tell me how to make Shindou smile!"

Tenma isn't sure what to say at first but he can see concern in Ibuki's eyes. "Uhm.. What do you want me to say?"

Ibuki tries to get mad, but ends up deflating and sitting on the other males bed. "I feel so… helpless.. Is there anything he… I don't know.. likes? Something that i could do that makes him smile…?"

At this the captain thinks long and hard. "….He likes…Soccer..and Music… and stuffed animals and stuff… I don't know if thats what you wanted but..Ah-! Ibuki-san?!"

But the white haired male had already left the room. "I mean he's really just homesick and misses Kirino and Sangoku a lot but.. okay…"

* * *

Days pass and no one sees Ibuki. Tenma is concerned for him becuase just a few days before he wanted Shindou happy and not showing up is just making the older brunette mad now.

After another day or two Shindou storms off the feild, going by Ibuki's room in a huff. He was homesick and heartbroken and now he had to deal with _this asshole? _He is almost in tears remembering why he is upset..

_/"Hello?" Shindou answers his phone in slight confusion._

_"Hey you!" Calls Kirino from the other side._

_The brunette is over joyed and smiles like he hasn't in a while at hearing his best friends voice again. They were both happily talking until he dropped the news… "Well anyways, I wanted to let you know that I asked Kariya out finally and he said yes..! I had tot ell you first, isn't it great? ….Shindou? …Hello?"/_

Tears fell as all the pain came ringing back. He was so hurt. So mad. And now he has _Ibuki_? He lifts a fist to slam on the door but he is stopped at a sound he doesn't recognize. He pauses and listens closer. Music… But the instrument is..? A string for sure…

Shindou instead pushes the door open so he can look in. Ibuki is there, sitting on his bed. He is very seriously trying to play a song he has laid out all over his bed. Shindou can hear him curse some everytime he messed up but he watches as he keeps trying to play.

The brunette isn't sure what to say or do right now. _'He's skipping to learn guitar? I thought he didn't like music.."_

Ibuki sees shindou and stands. He wasn't supposed to hear it until it was done, but now he definitely has some explaining to do. He prepared himself for the screaming and scolding for missing practice but all he got was a questioning look. Ibuki was an honest guy. He could be pretty damn blunt at times. And now was no different. but he awaited the question.

Shindou looked at the pages spread over his bed and then at the guitar in his hands. Then he saw his fingers. He'd been playing so long they were red and some had cuts. This had to have been going on for at least hours and hours. But had he been doing this for days? "What's.. all this..?"

There is was.. Ibuki took a breath and put down the instrument. One he planned to burn after this was all over it was a pain to learn.. He walked over and put his hands on the shorter males shoulders, "I want you to cheer up and go back to how you were!"

There was a apause of silence after those words and shindou's eyes widened. _'Was he doing this for me? Was this all in an attempt to make me feel better? This idiot doesn't even know that anything is wrong! Or ….?'_

Ibuki continues then.. "I know you like music so I… I wanna play and maybe then.. Maybe then you can smile or something just..! Just be happy, okay? And I wanna help anytime you need it so.. Just.. dump your feeling on me and I'll.. Ill do whatever you want.. Please don't ever be upset.."

His hands dropped off his shoulders and he sits, picking up his, damned, guitar and starts to try and play his song for Shindou. The brunette watches in shock for a moment and then he sits beside the taller male. His eyes glistening with tears, some already fallen, and smiles weakly. _'What an idiot…'_

With that, Shindou sits in his room and listens to him for hours. Ibuki makes mistakes and curses each one but never stops.._ 'And maybe thats the best thing about Ibuki.. He never stops… not when he wants something..'_

* * *

_Not my best. This was a request and gift for my friend Rosy. Hope you enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed writing it.._


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